Understanding the Mitzva of Believing in One God

The Sefer HaChinuch in his introduction instructs us on the Shesh Mitzvot Tamidiyot, The Six Constant Mitzvot. He details that one is obligated to fulfill these mitzvot on a constant basis, every single second of every single day. The mitzvot are listed as: 1) to believe in Hashem 2) not to believe in other gods 3) to perceive His Oneness 4) to love Him 5) to fear Him 6) not to stray after the thoughts of our heart and the sight of our eyes. Artscroll’s book on the Six Constant Mitzvos questions the functionality of being able to fulfill 6 mitzvot at one time constantly. Would we truly be able to do anything else with our lives? Are these mitzvot accomplished through thought in contrast to action? Is that a command that can be made of us?

Artscroll defines the premise behind these 6 Constant Mitzvot as being that of awareness. By mastering each one of these awarenesses and integrating them completely into our psyche, they will end up directing all of our actions. We will no longer have to actively refer to them, but it will be ingrained at our very core. This series will study each mitzvah, explore their meaning, and develop an understanding of how to build it into our lives. We will find that the mitzvot help us to develop an emotional bond with Hashem and reinforce our connection to Him. 

The third of the six mitzvot is defined as knowing that Hashem is one as explicitly stated in shema, “Listen, Israel, Hashem is our God, Hashem is One” (Deuteronomy 6:4). We call out twice a day during shacharit and maariv to remind us of this mitzvah. We are reminded of the unique nature of Hashem in his Oneness. He has no partners, He has no divisions, and He is separate from our perception of time and space. 

Additionally, the Sefer HaChinuch “writes that all of these factors are alluded to in the verse of Anochi Hashem Elokecha”. The words I am Hashem mean that Hashem is the One and Only God. Who has taken you out of the land of Egypt teaches that we must believe that Hashem liberated us. The fact that these were the first words we heard at Sinai indicates that we must believe that He gave us everything that followed, i.e., the entire Torah. (Rabbi Yehuda Heimowitz, “The 6 Constant Mitzvos” p. 67)” Hashem has existed, does exist, and will exist in His Oneness. This is encompassed by Hashem’s name “eheyeh asher eheye,” which is introduced to Moshe Rabbeinu by the sneh, burning bush. 

It might seem to be simple, Hashem is One, however, the fact that it needs to be stated as a mitzvah then there is more to it. The Ohr Gedalyahu brings out that the appearance of light will change based on the prism through which it refracts. There is still one ray of light that each respective color has emanated from. How much more so, there is One Source from which all facets come forth. The middot of Hashem that present as different attributes in the way that He deals with the world all stem from Hashem Himself. Hashem is One.

Rabbi Heimowitz continues by defining shema as “Accept from me, know, and believe that Hashem, Who is our God, is One. (p. 126)” The Sefer HaChinuch in Mitzvah 417 notes that Chazal often tell us that we should unify Hashem’s name. Declare it and have faith in it. It would appear that we already perform this mitzvah twice a day in shema, and so we can ask if it is a constant mitzvah or a twice daily one? By setting a few more fundamental pieces we can understand this better.

It might seem to be simple, Hashem is One, however, the fact that it needs to be stated as a mitzvah then there is more to it. The Ohr Gedalyahu brings out that the appearance of light will change based on the prism through which it refracts. There is still one ray of light that each respective color has emanated from. How much more so, there is One Source from which all facets come forth. The middot of Hashem that present as different attributes in the way that He deals with the world all stem from Hashem Himself. Hashem is One.

The Rambam builds on this by dictating that Hashem is different from everything we know. While we might describe a person or even a tree as big, tall, strong, or thin it does not work that way in regards to Hashem by any means. We can relate to and attribute certain values, but they do not justify who He is or what He is about. He “is not a gigantic being composed of different parts, but an Infinite Being that we cannot comprehend. (ibid, p. 129)” As such there is no one like Him. Thinking of this aspect constantly would require much more energy and bandwidth than we as mere human beings could manage while still stepping off the curb safely. An essential foundation that brings us closer to a more complete understanding.

Our role and the purpose of creation according to Mesilat Yesharim is to enable us to find the spiritual pleasure of ”d’veikut ba’Hashem.” One of the ways that we can do that is by recognizing that when we draw spiritual pleasure by cleaving to the Divine Presence, it is that there is One and only One Divine Presence. There is only one true existence, and we, fortunately, are a part of it. The Rambam takes this understanding and transforms it by teaching that “Hashem is all that exists.” The car you drive, the house you live in, and the food that you eat, is Hashem. Sounds blasphemous, but all finite existence (i.e. all of these items) are only here as a manifestation of Hashem’s will. If He would not will it to exist then it, and of course ourselves, would not be here.

The Rambam in the beginning of Hilchot Yesodei HaTorah reminds us that before creation all that existed was Hashem. He is “mechadesh b’chol yom tamid,” He creates everyday anew, constantly. If He was, for less than a moment, to not be “mechadesh”  the world would cease to exist. As such, we may have autonomy to an extent of choices we must know the Source of our existence has remained unchanged. This is what we must have a constant awareness of – the Source of it all. Everything comes from Hashem. 

Reflecting on how these aspects come to form a more comprehensive understanding, from our finite perspective, of Hashem’s Infinite Oneness will support us in our ability to keep this constant mitzvah. Hashem is the Divine Source of everything, of all that is in existence. It can be viewed that all that we see on Earth to an extent is an illusion that is manifested by Hashem in order to build us up and challenge us towards reaching great heights. The Talmud in Kiddushin 30b states, “A person’s yetzer hara is renewed each day.” It questions why it must be renewed each day, and responds that it isn’t real, and therefore, isn’t able to be constant. Whereas, Hashem is real, and of course then is always – eheyeh asher eheye. The yetzer hara is an illusion, and as we learned above if Hashem has to renew the world every moment of every day then it must be an illusion too. 

The world is simply an extension of the One Source. When our lives and the minutia therein are viewed through the lens of Yichud Hashem, then everything will gain a new sense of clarity. There will no longer be a pull between the yetzer hara and tov. Every perceived obstacle in our path is placed there by Hashem Himself thoughtfully for us to in order for us to get closer to Him. He wants us to succeed, and to the extent that Rabbi Heimowitz says, “It is not the world that was created for you, but the happenings in the world around you that were created for you.” Just as the Mishnah (Sanhedrin 37a) says, “bishvili nivrah haolam,” the world was created for me, it is all about perspective. There is One Source for everything.